Of Popcorn Kisses and Backyard Swings
by Seis Fleur
Summary: Ace and Luffy play matchmaker as they watched Sabo and Koala turned from childhood friends to young sweethearts. Sabo/Koala, suburban life AU.


_**One Piece Goda belongs to.**_

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Ace was the oldest among the three. He was raven-haired - messy one, at that - and was the most reclusive, until you get to know him better. He was also the tallest among those three, and the most handsome, as agreed by the young girls of the neighbourhood. He was adored for his charming crooked smile, his manners, his adventurous demeanor, and yes, even the freckles on his cheek, which resembled a beautiful constellation.

Luffy was the youngest among the three. He was also raven-haired - spikier than his elder brother - and the most shameless, if you could put it that way. He was also the friendliest, and he had the tendency to make friends with everyone he bumped into, even the birds of their backyard if he could converse in bird language. Despite being helplessly naive and oftentimes, fearless, his ability to make alliance with almost anyone was something he is talented at. The entire neighbourhood adored him.

Sabo was the middle child among the three. He was physically different than his two brothers - mainly due to the fact that they weren't exactly _real_ brothers - and had strawberry blonde hair. However, he was his own Oliver Twist, and was no different than the other two. Despite being equally adventurous as the other two, his manners was the best among those three. Sometimes, Ace and Luffy would get jealous of him getting praises from the elders for his better grades at school and for being the most helpful around the house, but it doesn't mean that he was less mischievous than the other two.

The three brothers grew up together with their Aunt Dadan, whom would often wipe their dirty faces and tuck them to bed no matter how much the woman yelled at them and called them 'useless brats' and 'shitty troublemakers' every single day. She was a strict woman, they say, but the three little kids' survival skills were far off better to survive her brutal punishments. Aunt Dadan was rather masculine, and for that reason, she had rarely displayed anything resembling affection towards the three. She would like to keep her reputation that way, no matter how much she had grown to love these useless brats.

The three would play around the neighbourhood until sunset. Half of their childhood were spent venturing into the woods outside the fences of the neigbourhood's playground, doing God-knows-what. Sometimes they would return home wounded and bruised, scraped knees and mud-stained hats - especially Luffy's favourite straw hat - but neither would cry. Their adventures of fighting wild racoons and fishing with self-made blunt spears sounded too much of an imagination, but no less realistic. Aunt Dadan would overhear their stories every night as the three sat in the bathroom washing their own mud-stained clothes, a punishment Aunt Dadan was very convenient with seeming that the boys never complained.

When Ace and Sabo entered middle-school, a lovely girl moved in next door, and joined their adventure troop. Koala - yes, like the animal - was the name of the brunette. She had brown shoulder-length hair, round hazel eyes and an adorable smile that never seemed to leave her face. She was in a pair of wrinkled chocolate-coloured overalls and a yellow t-shirt when they first met her - she was helping her adoptive father, Fisher Tiger, to carry boxes of their belongings into their new double-storey home. She was friendly and sweet, but also reasonably strong and athletic for a girl her age. Upon learning that they were going to the same middle-school, the four started walking to-and-from school every day. No sooner, Koala had became a part of the bunch of childhood friends.

As time goes by, the four kids had bloomed into very attractive young teens. They had become too old for adventures in the woods, so they had traded raccoon and rivers with bicycle rides and local parks. While Ace became the middle-school hottie often showered with love letters from Bonney, Sabo became a potential valedictorian, resulting him to unintentionally turn into the teacher's favourite. Luffy spent half of his middle-school hours attempting to prank and getting himself pranked by a certain orange-haired girl in his class. Koala, on the other hand, grew into a beautiful young lady, but while the girls of her class had attempted to befriend her and invite her out for sisterly shopping and slumber parties, she rejected them, staying loyal to her friendship with the three handsome lads.

"I don't mind Bonney, but the entire female species of the school trying to bother me gets really tiring to handle, man." Ace tossed a folded parchment labelled '_To Ace-kun_' with a heart drawn all over, into the dustbin in front of their yard, one very morning. He held his bicycle out to the sidewalk, followed by the Sabo and Luffy, each with their own bicycles.

"I can prank them if you want to, Ace!" Luffy offered, clutching a tube of strong elephant glue in his left hand. "I've planned the best prank for Nami today, shishishishishi!"

"Lu, Imma let you finish but, that girl obviously likes you," Sabo suggested, walking his bicycle with his two brothers along the fence of Koala's house.

"Ugh, if she _likes_ me, then why does she try to make my life miserable every single day?" Luffy reasoned back, of course. In understanding romance, Luffy was the slowest between the three.

Koala stood with her black rucksack hung from her shoulder in front of the gates of her house. Her scraped knees remained untended under the skirt of her lemon-coloured Peter Pan-collared dress. She gave them a hearty smile. "Good morning! Uh, I can't cycle with you guys to school today." She brushed the little dirt of her skirt lightly. "My bicycle is broken. Guess I have to walk today."

But of course, they wouldn't let her walk all by herself. The boys have grown to care for her like a sister over their friendship. Ace hummed, rubbing his chin. "Hmm... We can't let you walk by yourself to school."

"No! No!" Luffy shook his head. "Why not we all walk together today?"

"Or you can ride with me," Sabo offered, gesturing to the metal carrier just behind the saddle of his bicycle. Sure, he had the least rad bicycle among the three, but thanks to Ace, who mentioned that he could use it to _pick up chicks_, he didn't mind so much. "C'mon."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Sabo mounted himself on the saddle of his bicycle, and waited for Koala to seat herself behind him, having to awkwardly grip his shoulder so that she would be so confident on not falling off. Luffy and Ace snickered behind them, which only lasted for a while, of course.

Koala giggled so much as they rode along the concrete sidewalk on the way to school. Who knew riding a bicycle with someone else cycling would be enjoyable? She rode with Sabo again for home, and the next day, and the next day, and for the entire week. Sabo wasn't complaining, although awkward shoulder grips slowly turned into comfortable waist tugs. He especially loved it when she giggled.

When Fisher Tiger got her a new bicycle, she was a little sad.

The following year, Aunt Dadan had decided to give the boys separate bedrooms, now that they're old enough to be all independent. It was probably the old parenting book she had discovered, telling her that _single bedrooms allows your child to develop their individual creativity and personality_. Ace decorated his with posters of metal bands, while Luffy had spent his entire savings to fill his room with various game consoles and Stephano statues. Sabo was the luckiest. His bedroom window was directly opposite Koala's bedroom window. Now, he wouldn't be a dick and spy on her - she was their _best friend_, anyway - but the handsome blonde had developed a certain routine over the next few weeks, to check at her bedroom window before bedtime, wondering if she was already asleep. And if she wasn't yet, she would smile back at him, and the two would communicate through familiar gestures and portable whiteboard signs.

Nevertheless, that year, the social challenges in school had never once weakened their friendship. Ace became the superstar athlete of the school, while Sabo remained top of his grades, and began showing leadership skills. Luffy was still a dear prankster to his orange-haired classmate, who had gotten very lucky with puberty. Koala spent another whole year refusing offers of girlish shopping and sleepovers.

She was much more comfortable with their routines of Mondays-with-Dadan's-cooking, Wednesdays-at-Diners and Fridays-at-the-movies with the boys she had considered as her brothers. Wednesdays-at-Diners was one of her favourites of the week. The diner they often visited was just a few blocks away from their school, and though nearly _everyone_ from their school went there, no one would stay as long as past sunset. Koala particularly liked the diner for their American 50s style interior decor, the curly-haired curvy waitresses with red lipstick, checkered counters and especially, the huge jukebox located at the corner of the diner. Routinely, they would each pick at least a song at the jukebox, and would shamelessly dance along. She would often danced too, with the boys, and she would care less about weird looks the other costumers threw at them. She had the three lovely boys with her. Nothing could go wrong.

"The girls were so mean!" She mumbled over her fries. "Well, okay, maybe Rebecca wasn't the most popular girl in school, nor she had good grades, maybe she wasn't the best prankster, but listen, listen, once the girls purposely aimed to Rebecca with their shinai, she deflated all of them just like that! Just like that! She was all woosh and bent down like hiyah..."

Ace and Luffy battled over their chicken drumsticks while listening to her story, while Sabo had his chin rested on the palm of his hand, head slightly tilted, eyes unblinked, observing her as she continued to talk. Her round eyes were so lovely as they narrowed a little whenever she laughed, her cheeks were so naturally tinted with a red glow under her fair, fair skin, and her goddamn smile was so golden, the edge of her lips seemed to have a natural way of keeping her cheeks risen as if she had never frowned before. He found her very adorable this way.

"Koa, it's your turn for the jukebox," Luffy said, sliding a quarter towards her on the table.

"Alright, but you have to dance with me this time round, Luffy!" Koala smiled, taking the quarter and left the table to head to the jukebox.

As Sabo sighed, Ace nudged the blonde teasingly. Sure, they all have been close friends since the beginning of middle-school, but once puberty had taken place, Ace understood what happens when the hormones started kicking in. While the two raven-haired brothers sees Koala as a sister, and sometimes, a wrestling partner, Ace have noticed for months that Sabo had started acting rather different around Koala. Not only he was all-smiling whenever she was around, he had also started wearing more cologne, dressing-up more handsomely, groomed his messy blonde hair better, and worse, Ace once found him sleeping with the stupidest, cheesiest, widest grin on his face.

When confronted, Sabo only managed to deny every time, but the blush on his face was a strong proof. Ace and Luffy kept teasing him for an entire week after that - even Aunt Dadan joined in the tease. Sabo would only reply with a friendly wrestle, and then, he would run off to his room quickly and supposedly 'do homework'. Truthfully, he would end up lying on his bed every time, trying to shake off the embarrassment, and fighting to stay sane while his heart thundered faster at the thought of Koala. It was the worst - having butterflies in your stomach as your thought wanders around flashes of your lovely _best friend_. He often told himself that it was temporary and that it would pass, those fucking butterflies.

He never opened the curtains the entire week. He was afraid of those butterflies in his stomach. They felt freaky.

Ace and Luffy were, to Sabo's unfortunate surprise, much sneakier. They decided to play matchmaker one night, wasting away two tickets of a horror movie that Friday evening. Sabo had lined up for the popcorn and drinks when Ace and Luffy claimed to be sick, pretending to have food poisoning over the cafeteria food they took earlier that afternoon. Sabo and Koala were pretty concerned and suggested to cancel movie night out, but Ace and Luffy insisted them to proceed.

"Oi, you sure you're okay?"

"Y-yeah, we'll call Dadan to pick us up."

It was not until they have found a white rose on Koala's seat in the movie theater that Sabo realized that Ace and Luffy were setting things up. Luckily for him, she only chuckled at the sight of the white rose on her seat.

"Wondered who left it here?"

Sabo shrugged nervously, as Koala took the rose and held it close to her chest. They sank into their seats - in between other two empty seats in which Ace and Luffy was supposed to occupy. It was a little awkward, considering that they had never been together alone, without the presence of the other two. Koala was used to hanging out with either of them alone while discussing female-related matters and deep dark secrets, but never once in this rather romantic situation.

Horror was a genre Sabo and Koala enjoyed very much. Throughout the entire movie, they had commented on how _he shouldn't hide in there, _how _she should close the fucking door_ and how _there was a knife, damn it, why didn't you bring it with you_? The outrageous amount of jumpscares did get them, though. Sabo was manly enough to only flinch at every jumpscare, but Koala was a little weaker with horror surprises. She leaned in to him many times, tugging and pulling his shirt aggressively followed by apologies, and he had also accidentally threw his arms around her a few times._  
_

And when he realized that it was giving him those butterflies again, having the girl in his embrace, he tried to release her and pulled back. But the girl gripped his arms tighter, her eyes narrowed at the screen, anticipating another jumpscare. "Don't let go yet," she told him, and it made his heart flutter, he didn't understand why.

"Okay," was his only reply.

"Sabo, is this too much horror for you too?"

"Mmh?"

"I could feel your heartbeat. It's so fast."

Blood rushed through his cheeks. He said nothing else the entire movie.

When the movie ended, Koala took the white rose with her. It was already nearly ten in the evening. The two cycled their way home, side by side. Even under the downlight of the street's lamp post, she looked incredibly stunning. She was wearing one of her favourite sundresses, the one with little yellow carnations all over, and a pair of combat boots, the ones she would wear to school almost Friday. Her flare skirt swayed in the cold night's wind, which also kissed through her hair as she cycled forward, giggling over the little race.

_Ugh, how more adorable she could possibly be?_ He was all blushing the entire ride home. Thankfully, it was less visible under the yellow street light, so it would save him from embarrassment.

As soon as they reached home, Koala decided to check on Luffy and Ace, and their _pretend_ food poisoning. He shrugged as he held the door open for her. Aunt Dadan had already fell asleep in front of the TV, with Walking Dead being played on the LCD screen. Sabo and Koala exchanged looks, and tiptoed to the kitchen. If they didn't know the two any better, the boys would probably be busy chugging down meat, even through any sickness.

But instead, he only had found bottle of grape juice on the table, alongside two champagne glasses, with a note. It was scribbled with terrible handwriting, but still readable. Sabo took the note and read aloud,

_"Sabo and Koala, just take it and pretend it's wine. From Ace and Luffy."_

Koala chuckled, while Sabo shook his head. He made a mental note to kick the hell out of their asses once Koala's home, later.

Koala took the bottle, and poured grape juice into the two champagne glasses. She handed one to Sabo, and whispered to him so as to not wake Dadan up, "let's pretend to drink wine at the backyard."

Sabo smiled, and lead her to their backyard, which was properly tended. There were two swings the brothers used to play with so much during their pre-puberty years. It was pretty rusty but he was confident they were still usable. Koala had also been in their backyard several times, but often those occasions were during daytime. The backyard was extraordinarily beautiful at night. The nightsky was decorated with as many stars as the galaxy - they were lucky their suburban area wasn't very lit up as bright as the city, at night.

The two sat side by side on the rusty swing, champagne glasses clinked. The night was quiet, only sound of whistling wind and singing creatures of the night conquering the atmosphere, alongside their own breathing. Each tried to go through their brain to find something good to talk about, to lessen the awkwardness, but neither managed to find anything to talk on. There was always one cliche topic, though.

"So, dyou like the movie?" He asked her, slightly swinging on his swing.

"It was fine. I enjoyed it." She smiled at him, and proceeded to stare at her legs on the ground, brushing the dry soil with the tip of her combat boots. "Sabo, why do you close your curtains the entire week?"

Sabo turned nervous at the question. He looked down too, trying to avoid her gaze. "I, uh, I just forgot to open it... I guess..." He would admit, it was a pretty weak excuse. "Why?"

"Nothing," she nearly stuttered. "Just wondering."

Sabo took a sip of his grape juice.

"Would you leave it open again?"

Sabo gave a low hum, and a quick nod. "Um. Why?"

"So I could wish you goodnight every night, again." Koala bit her lip. Her glance maintained on the dark ground, on her combat boots. She was a little embarrassed now.

"Uh, sure," he answered, feeling the heat over his cheeks.

"Would you leave it open forever?"

Sabo laughed. "But what if one of us move away?"

"Yeah... That would be terrible. I wish the four of us would stay together, forever."

"You'll get tired of seeing my face, Koala." He joked, chuckling a little.

"Hey, I don't mind seeing your face for a lifetime," she told him. It made his heart beat faster, and damn, those butterflies just couldn't stay still.

Sabo raised his head towards her and returned her smile. He brought himself closer towards her, moving the swing horizontally, but kept it from being in motion by locking his feet onto the ground below him. The closer he was to her, the more he realized that she smelled like a fusion of vanilla and strawberry. The more he realized that she had brown eyes instead of hazel, and that her lips were like the galaxy's edge - Arctic Monkey was right. She was so astoundingly beautiful, that he felt that the moon was incomparable to her, and the crowded stars were even too dim for her.

Sabo could feel her breath close to his face, as he leaned in the slowest dramatic attempt to kiss those tempting lips of hers. He caught her eyes, which looked like as if they contained a thousand Andromedas. He was blushing all over, and she was blushing too, but he really wanted to kiss her, he really wanted those butterflies to stay still until everything is over.

But as soon as the tip of their noses touched, a quick giggle escaped from her mouth. "Sabo, are you okay?"

A wide grin formed on his face, following her musical giggle. "I really don't know what I'm doing, Koala."

But she moved even closer, careful enough not to let their lips touch yet. He could really feel her breath brushing on his lips now, and his heart pounded like mad. He took it as a permission for him to kiss her, well, he never kissed anyone, he was really nervous about this and _damn, should've asked Ace about women!_ But he pressed his lips against hers anyway, and started kissing her.

She was sweet. She tasted like Vanilla Coke on a summer's day.

Once they pulled back, faces only a few inch apart, he saw her smile under her brown locks. She had a certain glow on her face now, which made him want to kiss her again. But he was terribly, utterly embarrassed right that very moment. Koala leaned closer, now, only to have their foreheads touched. She was completely blushing, but she loved it.

"Sabo and Koala sitting in a tree," the two heard a familiar voice sing-songed. They both quickly glanced upwards towards a second-floor window of the house, where Ace and Luffy was practically leaning out to peek at them. "K. I. S. S. LMNOP!" Luffy continued his teasing sing-song, while Ace gave him a thumbs up.

Sabo and Koala laughed in embarrassment. She buried her face in her hands, while he bit his lips awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. Something told him that his window is going to be opened every single night now, and the lovely girl beside her has everything to do with it.

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**Inspired by Tumblr user: zolororonoa's headcanon of Ace, Luffy, Sabo and Koala having double dates at a 50s diner and movie nights every Friday. The headcanon was so kawaii it made me wrote this. Need to get them off my head or else it would go on to poke in my brain 5ever.**

**Damn, I'm so obsessed with Sabo and Koala right now, I need medical help.**

**Thanks in advance for the reads, reviews, follows and favourites. I love you like I love gummy worms and jelly beans.**


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